The Subversive Power of ‘Elle’
“‘Elle’ is a demented Rorschach test of the highest degree.”
James Bond and Artifice
“No longer tasked with putting the missing pieces of action, intrigue and effects together in our heads, the artifice of Bond is gone forever — and with it, any room for playful interpretation.”
As American as Apple Pie: The Contemporary Applicability of Jacques Tourneur’s ‘Cat People’
“In regards to modern day politics, ‘Cat People’ captures the anti-immigration fervor of the 2016 American presidential campaign and election.”
Why Criticism: The Simple Joys of Food and Film
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Why Criticism: Éric Rohmer’s ‘Louis Lumière’ (1968) or Dinner Among Friends
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Neaux Reel Idea: The Southern Sage
Neaux Reel Idea is a Vague Visages column by Bill Arceneaux, in which he explores the cinema of his native New Orleans.
Why Criticism: Horror’s Fight for Respect
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
‘Different from the Others’: The Oldest Gay Movie in Restored 35mm
“History, in the form of motion picture entertainment, continues to surprise.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Christine’ (John Carpenter, 1983)
“In many ways, ‘Christine’ reflects a skepticism of the ‘I take what I want, when I want it’ system that emerges when consumerism becomes the dominant ideological force of society.”
Why Criticism: Defining New Cinema at FNC 2016
“In search of new worlds and experiences, this year’s FNC has been a journey from the physical world to the metaphysical.”
Why Criticism: The Tale of the Festival Film
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Why Criticism: Writing About What You Don’t Know
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Auto Focus’ (Paul Schrader, 2002)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Why Criticism: Umberto Eco and ‘The Infinity of Lists’
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Patty Hearst’ (Paul Schrader, 1988)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Two Drink Minimum: Emmys 2016 – Progress Comes Quicker with Comedy
“The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards have helped shake up the industry with its most explicitly progressive and comedic self-congratulating.”
At the Cinémathèque: Is ‘Kamouraska’ Better Than ‘Mon oncle Antoine’?
A Justine A. Smith Series on Montreal’s Cinémathèque Québécoise
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Cat People’ (Paul Schrader, 1982)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Why Criticism: Joan Didion, John Wayne and Personal Brands
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
At the Cinémathèque: ‘In the Realm of the Senses’ (Nagisa Ôshima, 1976)
“In the forbidden, Oshima reveals the fear of our own meaninglessness and our inability to face death as a certainty.”